


Like no king was before

by alienvomplanetenwooh



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Banter, Canon Era, Character Death Mentioned, Knights - Freeform, Mentions of execution, Pep Talk, Uther Pendragon - Freeform, selfdoubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-03 01:06:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alienvomplanetenwooh/pseuds/alienvomplanetenwooh
Summary: Arthur has been king of Camelot for only a few days.If only Arthur didn't feel like he couldn't own up to being the king his father was.But is that really what he needs to be?





	Like no king was before

**Author's Note:**

> I can't even be serious for the entirety of 3 pages.  
> My apologies.

Sir Leon was the last to leave the training grounds that morning, he had a new squire and that meant he had to explain some things after training. He didn’t mind it though, in fact, he quite enjoyed teaching young boys how to become knights, to see them grow and learn. It gave him hope for Camelot’s future. Especially now, with King Uther’s passing just a few days ago and other rivaling kingdoms searching for weak points within Camelot.   
However, Leon was confident, that Camelot was the strongest it had ever been, or would become it very soon. King Arthur might be young, but the knight could not imagine anyone better suited to rule over their beloved kingdom.

When he was about to enter the armoury he heard a loud shatter from within.  
Weird, he thought, all the knights should be gone by now, and he told his squire to wait for him in his room. Maybe it was Merlin? He had a bit of a habit of dropping things. It was probably Merlin.  
When he pushed open the door to the armoury, it was not Merlin who stood in the middle of the room, to his feet Sir Frederic’s helmet still turning around itself after, probably, being thrown against the opposite wall.  
“Sire!”, Sir Leon called out in surprise.  
The king turned around in the blink of an eye, always on the lookout, always expecting an attack - Leon thought that this behaviour had gotten even worse since he became king. He relaxed though, when he saw that it was one of his most trusted knights. The tension leaving his shoulders - but not completely; never completely - and he sank down on one of the benches and stared at his feet.  
“Oh, it’s you. I didn’t think anyone would still be down here, Sir Leon”, the King explained.  
“No, no, your majesty. I should be apologizing. I didn’t mean to intrude.”, the knight said with a little bow of his head.  
“Don’t be ridiculous, Sir Leon.”, Arthur dismissed his apology, but still wasn’t looking at the older knight.  
“Is everything alright, your highness? Didn’t the training go as well as you hoped it would?”, he suggested.  
Arthur huffed a laugh and dragged his hand over his face. “You could say that, it was certainly different than I expected.  
“My apologies, Sire. Do you want me to talk to the knights? I believe they were just going easy on you, seeing that it was your first training since-” Sir Leon cleared his throat “-since your coronation. We should’ve known you wouldn’t want to be treated any different.”  
Again Sir Leon gave a little bow and Arthur groaned in frustration: “But that’s just it, isn’t it? They’ve always treated me differently! I thought it might’ve changed, now that I am king and all.”  
“I beg you pardon, my Lord. I don’t think I understand?” Leon asked confused, “Of course they treat you differently. You’re their prince, their king now. It wouldn’t be appropriate to treat you just like any one of us?”  
“No, I get that”, Arthur sighed, “I just thought they’d treat me more like him. Like my father.”  
Leon didn’t answer for a while and when he was about to, King Arthur raised his voice again.  
“The knights don’t act around me the way they acted around my father when he was in command. They- they just don’t respect me as they did my father. I will never be able to rule this kingdom like my father did!”  
The knight closed his eyes and nodded in understanding. The king didn’t notice, since his eyes were still locked on his boots, so Leon took a seat next to him on the bench.  
“You’re right.”, Sie Leon confirmed and before Arthur could say anything else he continued, “Do you know the story of how your father became King of Camelot?”  
Arthur snorted in disbelieve: “Of course I do, Leon. Everyone does!”  
“Do you also know how he used to train the knights, back when he had just conquered Camelot? When he had just become king, even before he met your mother?”, Leon continued.  
“I guess the same way he used to train the knights when I was just a child, what is the point of this, Leon?”, Arthur asked, and his previous desperation had shifted to annoyance.  
“Yes, but he had to start somewhere, didn’t he? Gain their acceptance as their leader. Of course I can only recount stories that I’ve been told by older knights, back when I was just a squire. It’s the story all the elder knights used to tell the squires to scare the weak and fearful ones off. It’s a story that happened only weeks after your father became king.” Arthur was intrigued now, he was sure that he had never been told that story! “Since your father was new, untested as king, there were those in his court - and among his knights - that doubted his fitness to rule, and some thought of challenging him, to find out how he’d react in such a situation. But before they would have gotten the chance to do so, your father showed them what they had to expect if they did. Sir Robert, one of your father’s best friends, who even helped him conquer Camelot, spoke out against one of King Uther’s plans to take out an enemy army that was on the march to challenge the newly crowned king. He didn’t say anything reprehensible, all he did was point out a weak spot in the plan, something that could get everyone killed. But King Uther wouldn’t have it, he accused him of speaking treason against his king and asked if he would like to reconsider his objections. Sir Robert was very devoted to the king and their new kingdom but he replied, that although he didn’t mean any offence to the king, he couldn’t - in good conscience - back down in a matter that could cost everyone their lives. He was executed on the same day.”  
“What?!”, Arthur exclaimed indignant, “That is absurd! Why would my father do that? He was his friend, and he was thinking of the good of Camelot!”  
Leon smiled sadly: “He did it to get his subjects’ respect. Sir Robert wasn’t the problem, he was loyal to your father, he was his friend. Those who questioned the king’s ability to rule were the problem. Sir Robert had to die, so that none other would dare to challenge your father. If he didn’t hesitate to kill off one of his best friends, who could say what the king would do to them if they objected? You see, Arthur, the knights followed your father's orders because they had to fear for their lives if they disagreed. They respected the king, but they also feared him.”  
Arthur looked at his knight quizzically. He wished he could say that his father would’ve never done something like that, but sadly that sounded exactly like his father’s train of thoughts. What was Leon trying to tell him? That he had to kill off one of his best knights to make it known to the others that they couldn’t do as they pleased? That he was the one in command?  
Arthur shuddered when he thought about having to kill Sir Lancelot, or Sir Leon, even Sir Gwaine!   
He could never do something so cruel just to make a point.  
And apart from anything, he didn’t want his knights’ respect to be rooted in fear of him! None of his subjects’!  
Despite always carefully guarding his expressions, some emotions must’ve shown on his face, for Sir Leon put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder and continued: “But you, Arthur, you have won their respect by being kind to them, by being with them through every hardship and every battle, by being willing to sacrifice your life not only for any of your knights - but for every peasant in your kingdom. They know that the life of your subjects means more to you than your own life. Your strength and ability to rule this kingdom does not come from spreading fear amongst your people, it comes from how much you love and care for them. You have not only won their respect. You have their affections, their loyalty and their friendship. The knights serve you, not only to keep their families and the country save, they - and all the people in Camelot - serve you because they believe in you. They can see past the good king that you already are, and see the great king that you will become. We all do.”  
Arthur looked at his knight with big, unbelieving eyes and his mouth opened and closed without any words coming out. There was a lump in his throat that stopped his emotions from spilling. Which was probably a good thing, since he wouldn’t be able to account for anything that would come out of his mouth at this point.  
He didn’t know his knights - his subjects - felt like that about him.  
They couldn’t, could they?  
How would Leon know all that anyway?  
He was just saying these things to make him feel better, Arthur was sure about that.  
Leon huffed a laugh and moved to stand. “It’s the truth, Arthur. If you don’t believe me, ask Merlin” Leon winked and opened the door. “you know he’d never sugarcoat what people, or himself, think of you.”  
Before Arthur could muster any sort of reply, not even a thank you, the door locked behind the older knight and the king was left alone in the armoury.  
“He’s right. I would tell you if you fucked up.”, a voice agreed behind him.  
Arthur didn’t jump in surprise, and he most definitely didn’t have to stifle a cry, thank you very much.  
“How long have you been hiding there, Merlin?!”, Arthur exclaimed.  
“I was always treated differently! I’m an enormous pampered royal dollophead but I want you to pity me and tell me how much everyone loves me!”, Merlin whined in a voice that didn’t sound like Arthur’s at all! “Does that answer your question, my Lord?”  
Arthur’s eyes narrowed to slits and he gave a deep growl that sounded suspiciously like Merlin’s name.  
“Uh-oh”, Merlin gulped, dropped the piece of armour he’d been polishing and scrambled back up the stairs to the adjoining room, just in time before Arthur rose from the bench and leaped at him, chasing his manservant around the armoury.


End file.
